It took nearly two years, three courts and five judges, but a lawyer has cleared himself of a shoplifting conviction. At the center of the dispute? $3.76. A three-judge appeals panel ruled that a charge of shoplifting should not have applied when Adam Goodmann walked out of a Walgreens without paying for a set of photo prints. Goodmann claimed he should have been charged $5.99 as promoted in a flier; the store in Fair Lawn wanted $9.75. "It just goes to show you, the smallest case with the smallest money at issue can make law," prosecutor Annmarie Cozzi said, adding that no appeal is planned. Goodman had gone to the store on March 7, 2005, to pick up film that had been redeveloped after the initial set did not include the date, according to the opinion. He refused to pay the higher price. Assistant store manager John Evans testified that he told Goodmann he would be charged with shoplifting if he refused to return the snapshots.... http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Stunned Iraqis picked through the rubble of devastated buildings and loaded coffins onto minivans Sunday after a suicide truck bomber obliterated a Baghdad market in a mainly Shiite area, killing at least 132 people in the deadliest single strike by a suicide bomber since the war started. The explosion Saturday was fifth major bombing in less than a month targeting predominantly Shiite districts in Baghdad and the southern Shiite city of Hillah. It also was the worst in the capital since a series of car bombs and mortars killed at least 215 people in the Shiite district of Sadr City on Nov. 23. Hospital officials said 137 people were killed and at least 300 were wounded in the thunderous explosion that sent a column of smoke into the sky on the east bank of the Tigris River. Heavily bandaged women, children and men filled hospital beds, while several bloodied bodies were piled onto blankets on the floor of the morgue, which was filled to capacity. ...http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/04/iraq/main2430116.shtml?source=RSSattr=World_2430116

A ceasefire between rival Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip appears to be taking hold after some of the deadliest in-fighting there for months. There have been no major clashes since Saturday night, when both sides renewed a truce which had twice broken down. About 23 people died and more than 200 were injured in renewed fighting between Fatah and Hamas militants. The two sides have been locked in a bitter power struggle since Hamas won elections in January 2006. The BBC's Alan Johnston in Gaza says for now, at least, it does seem that Hamas and Fatah have acted to restrain their forces. The centre of Gaza City remains tense, he says, and the two sides have not abandoned all the positions that they took up during the fighting. But the armed presence on the streets is now much reduced, and throughout Gaza there have been no reports of serious clashes. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6329443.stm

In a wooded ravine tucked away from the water parks, restaurants and mega-resorts that dominate this tourist town, a piece of history is quietly dying. After more than half a century of wowing tourists (and causing probably more than a few cases of nausea), the Wonder Spot, a mysterious cabin where people can't stand up straight, water runs uphill and chairs balance on two legs, is no more. Owner Bill Carney has sold the iconic attraction to the village of Lake Delton for $300,000. The village wants to build a road through the crevice where the Wonder Spot has stood since the 1950s. Now, the Wonder Spot, one of more than a dozen sites around the nation dubbed "gravity vortexes" and a throwback to postwar, family-oriented tourist attractions, has a date with a bulldozer. ...http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2848414

Four US helicopters lost in Iraq in recent weeks appear to have been downed by ground fire, the US military has admitted publicly for the first time. US spokesman in Iraq said that as a result, tactics were being adjusted and mission procedures modified. Three army helicopters and a private aircraft have come down since 20 January, with the loss of 20 US lives. The US has lost more than 50 military helicopters in Iraq since May 2003 - about half of them to hostile fire. Correspondents say the recent incidents have raised new questions about whether insurgents are using more sophisticated weapons, or whether US tactics need changing. In other developments in Iraq: The Iraqi government has said it will announce guidelines for the new security plan for Baghdad, led by Iraqi forces with support from the US, in parliament in the next few days. The UN Secretary-General's special representative in Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, has urged Iraqis ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6329353.stm

At least 20 people have been killed and 340,000 made homeless by massive floods that have swept through the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Three days of torrential rain have caused rivers to burst their banks, sending muddy water up to 3m (10ft) deep into homes and businesses. Authorities say the city of nine million people is now on its highest level of alert. The floods are said to be the worst to hit Jakarta for five years. Meteorologists have warned the downpour is likely to continue for another week, and with heavy rains falling on hilly regions to the south, more flooding is threatened. Power cuts Rising floodwaters have cut water supplies and communications to parts of the city and forced medical teams to use boats and helicopters to reach many of those left stranded. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6328873.stm